A couple months back, my wife took a short cruise to the Bahamas and left the girls and me at home. I had been talking about returning to Hanging Rock in North Carolina (just up the road – an hour away) with the girls for some time. This presented the opportunity, so we took off.

IF you have not been to Hanging Rock, I recommend taking some time and heading up the road. They have a wonderful reception center and massive parking lot that connects most of the main trails. There are also trails only accessible from the roads surrounding the park. Dig into the map below to make sure you know where to go.

A little about this park:

“Since its creation as a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps project, Hanging Rock State Park has offered the best of a traditional outdoor experience with 73-site campground, picnic grounds, stocked lake for swimming and canoe rentals and more than 20 miles of hiking trails that climb onto spectacular views and weave alongside clear streams and waterfalls. There is also access on the Dan River for paddling, 8.4 miles of mountain biking trails and rock climbing.”

Here is the map to get oriented – I set this to open in a new tab so you can download and print easily.

Hanging Rock State Park Map

We had already decided to take the long trail to go up the mountain and get to the “Hanging Rock” – why the park was created… My oldest now that she is 10 did just fine – but our 5 year old… not so much. I ended up putting her on my shoulders most of the climb up. If you have not done this, it is a challenge to say the least. Most of the climb is not as nice as the steps shown below. The climb is just that, a boulder staircase and tight twisty path at extreme angles.

It will take about an hour to get to the top depending on the day if it is busy. We made it up the mountain and back down in a couple of hours. Take your time, there is no rush and enjoy the wonderful peaceful nature. It really gives you a chance to unwind and NOT hear the noise of everyday life.

Your phone won’t work for the most part, so only bring it with you for photos. No texting or Facebook time here.

A couple of things to keep in mind. I wish I would have actually took my backpack from the car. It looks like a short “hike” but you need to bring a backpack with snacks and water you will need it. We were thirsty beyond belief when we got back to the car. Overall it was a great day – and I would not trade it for the world! Something I will remember forever. I am truly blessed with wonderful girls in my life. Thanks to God for these two gifts who I pass down what little wisdom I have, but they also help me to see the better side of life that one forgets as you grow older.

Don’t forget to have some of these things with you!

About this post: this post was created using my iPhone 6 in the WordPress app. Photos/Video was taken from my iPhone. I did not use WordPress to modify the images down to a more consumable size – but you can check out how to below.